The present invention relates generally to air bags and more particularly to an air bag which when deployed is located between adjacently seated occupants (including driver and passenger) of the vehicle to protect these occupants from impacting one another, as well as vehicle structures during an accident such as a side impact crash or rollover.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an occupant-to-occupant air bag deployable from a vehicle roof and when deployed is located between adjacent occupants of the vehicle.
Accordingly the invention comprises: an air bag assembly configured to deploy in a generally vertical direction, comprising: an air bag having at least one inflatable chamber defined by a material so configured. The chamber includes a first end and an opposite second end; the air bag further including first mounting elements for mounting the air bag to a mounting surface and for providing, proximate the first end of the inflatable chamber, a wide and stable base adjacent the roof, from which the air bag extends as the air bag inflates. An external tether cradles or envelops the air bag proximate the inflatable chamber(s) on opposing sides thereof. The external tether is connected to the air bag proximate the second end of the chamber and includes respective tether ends connected to the first mounting elements proximate the roof.
Many other objects and purposes of the invention will be clear from the following detailed description of the drawings.